Blood Glucose Meter Having Integral Lancet Device And Test Strip Storage Vial For Single Handed Use And Methods For Using Same

ABSTRACT

A blood glucose meter having a test strip port and an adjustable lancet device disposed at the same end of the device body is disclosed. The device body further includes an enclosure at the proximal end of the device body which houses a test strip storage vial and which facilitates one-handed opening and closing of the vial to simplify access to test strips contained therein. The enclosure is further provided with a window which allows the reading of the lot numbers on the label of the test strip vial therein without necessitating removal of the vial. A data connector is also provided on the device body for communication access, such as to upload data from other devices or to download data to other devices.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/980,651, filed on Oct.31, 2007, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/106,728,filed on Apr. 15, 2005, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e)from Provisional Application No. 60/562,536, filed on Apr. 16, 2004, theentire contents of each of said prior applications being incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a blood glucose meter with an integrallancet device, and a location on the device to store test strip vials,such that one-handed use for lancet device, meter and test strip accessfunctions are possible.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As the number of patients suffering from diabetes and similar medicalconditions increases, self-monitoring of blood glucose wherein thepatient monitors his or her blood glucose levels has become a commonpractice. Various mechanisms have been created to achieve these results,and typically include a lancet device and a blood glucose meter.

Blood glucose meters often further include a memory for storing measuredblood glucose values, exercises and meals, along with other related datasuch as the corresponding dates, time of day, and duration of each, andthe units that were used as these values and events were measured. Bloodglucose meters are also generally provided with a display screen anduser input buttons or controls with which a user can specify which ofthe stored values to display or functions to access.

A blood glucose meter can be configured to receive and read an insertedtest strip on which a drop of a patient's blood has been deposited.Still other devices include an integrated lancet device and glucosemeter for ease of self-monitoring. Such systems are disclosed, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,398, to Garcia et al., entitled “GlucoseMedical Monitoring System”, the entire content of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

In many devices, the lancet mechanism and the detection mechanism areseparate. In doing so, the lancet device including the lancet, and thedetection unit including the test strip, which are provided separatelyor are separately mounted on a monitoring system, result in a verycomplicated operation for the user.

Accordingly, a need exists for a device and method to provide a bloodglucose meter with an integral lancet device, and a location on thedevice to store test strip vials, such that one-handed use for lancetdevice, meter and test strip access functions are possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bloodglucose meter with an integral lancet device, and a location on thedevice to store a test strip vial, such that one-handed use for lancetdevice, meter and test strip access functions are possible.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood glucosemeter with an integral lancet device such that lancing and testingprocesses are positioned sufficiently close in proximity to allow avirtually continuous short motion by the user to achieve the functionsof each.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood glucosemeter with a location on the device to store test strip vials, such thatvial access can be achieved using a one-handed motion.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood glucosemeter with a location on the device to store test strip vials, such thatvial content information is visible to a user without removal of thevial from the device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood glucosemeter providing further analytical functions, including communicationwith other devices.

These and other objects are substantially achieved by providing a bloodglucose meter having a test strip port and adjustable lancet devicedisposed at the same end of the device body. The device further includesan enclosure at an opposite end which houses a test strip vial, andwhich further facilitates one-handed opening and closing of the vial tosimplify access to the contained test strips. A data connector orwireless communication module can be located on the bottom of theenclosure of the device for communication access, such as to upload datafrom other devices and download data to other devices, and a window canbe provided on a device surface which allows the reading of lot numberson the label of the test strip vial without requiring the removal of thevial from the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and advantages will become more apparentupon consideration of the following drawings and detailed description,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the top surface of a bloodglucose meter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom surface of theembodiment of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 through 5 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use ofan embodiment of the present invention for lancing a finger to provide ablood drop;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use of anembodiment of the present invention by rolling a bottom-lanced fingerover a test strip using the stationary device end as a rest for thelanced finger to provide the blood drop to the test strip;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use of anembodiment of the present invention by moving a side-lanced finger ashort distance to the test strip to provide the blood drop to the teststrip;

FIGS. 10 through 12 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use ofan embodiment of the present invention by rolling the finger over astationary device to provide the blood drop to the test strip; and

FIGS. 13 through 16 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use ofan embodiment of the present invention for using a single hand to openand close a test strip vial to access a test strip.

Throughout the drawing figures, it will be understood that like numeralsrefer to like structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention described belowrelate to a blood glucose meter with an integral lancet device, and alocation on the device to store a test strip vial that holds a number oftest strips. The disclosed embodiments of the present invention combinethe functionality of each above feature into a streamlined enclosurethat optimizes the use of the product for the purpose of monitoringone's blood glucose.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the top surface of a bloodglucose meter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.The main features of the disclosed embodiments of the present inventioninclude a device body 10 configured for convenient one-handed use, teststrip port 20 and lancet device 30 that are disposed at the same end ofthe device body 10, thereby allowing a drop of blood extracted by thelancet device 30 to be immediately deposited on the test strip (notshown) in the test strip port 20, a detachable cover 40 which allowslancet replacement and also provides a generous lead-in area 45 tofacilitate convenient test strip loading into the test strip port 20, atrigger button 50 on the side of the device body 10 which allowscomfortable positioning during lancing, an aiming slide 60 on the sidesand bottom of the enclosure of the device body 10 which arms the lancingmechanism of the lancet device 30 when moved toward the back of thedevice, wherein the location of the arming slide 60 keeps the outer sizeof device body 10 as small as possible, and an enclosure 70 which housesa test strip vial 75 containing multiple test strips and which allowsone-handed vial opening. The device body 10 further includes a bloodglucose meter 80 for processing the test strip, and a data connector 90(see FIG. 2) located on the bottom of enclosure for data exchanges withan electronic pen-type injector or other device. The blood glucose meter80 can further include a display window 82 and a plurality of meteroperation buttons or controls 84. The enclosure 70 can further include awindow 72 which allows reading of a test strip lot number on a teststrip vial 75 label therein without removing the strip vial from thedevice body 10. By combining these multiple components into a singledevice body 10, the device requires fewer steps for testing, and makesdevice use easier, even in confined or less than ideal locations to testone's blood glucose levels.

As noted above, many existing devices require the use of a separateblood glucose meter, lancet device and test strip storage vial. Theseexisting devices can, therefore, require an extensive amount of handlingand manipulation of separate devices to facilitate the measurement ofone's blood glucose, which is an undesirable outcome. The exemplaryembodiments of the present invention combine these separate devicefeatures into a single device by combining a blood glucose meter, lancetdevice and test strip storage, thereby requiring much less handling andmanipulation to accomplish a desirable outcome.

The embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 takes advantageof the small size of the primary sub-components, including blood glucosesensing circuitry/technology of the blood glucose meter 80, lancetmechanism of the lancet device 30, and test strip storage vial 75, andencapsulates each in an attractive and user-friendly package. Thecombination of these sub-systems as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1results in a reduction in the number of steps required to test one'sblood glucose as described in greater detail below. The blood glucosesensing circuitry/technology of the blood glucose meter 80, lancetmechanism of the lancet device 30, and test strip storage vial 75 arewell known to those skilled in the art and a detailed description ofeach is omitted for clarity and conciseness.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the top surface of the device,and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom surface of thedevice.

The device of FIG. 1 includes a device body 10 which is configured forconvenient one-handed use. The device body 10 comprises a taperedcylindrical housing having flattened top and bottom surfaces. The devicebody 10 can be any suitable length, but preferably comprises a length ofabout 160 mm. The top and bottom surfaces of the device body 10preferably have a width of about 25 mm. The device body 10 can beconstructed of any suitable material, but is preferably constructed ofan engineering plastic material.

At a distal end of the device of FIG. 1, a test strip port 20 andadjustable lancet device 30 are disposed at the same end of the devicebody 10. In doing so, a test strip (not shown) can be provided veryclose to the lancet device 30. A generous lead-in area 45 to the teststrip port 20 is provided for improved usability, and can comprise acolor highlighted area surrounding the opening of the test strip port 20to provide improved visibility. The lead-in area 45 can be provided forholding the test strip during use, and can be constructed as a notch atthe distal end of the device body 10 extending from an open end 46 atthe distal end of the device to the test strip port 20, and having aslightly wider opening at the open end 46 of about 7.0 mm, which narrowsto equal the opening of the test strip port 20. The lead-in area 45 canbe provided having any suitable length, but is preferably about 18 mmlong. The test strip port 20 can be provided to be within 27.6 mm of thedistal end of the lancet device 30. Accordingly, a test strip whenpositioned in the lead-in area 45 can be provided to be within 3.8 mm ofthe distal end of the lancet device 30.

A detachable cover 40 is provided and allows convenient lancetreplacement when desired. Contours and/or recesses in the detachablecover 40 can provide the lead-in area 45 to guide the test strip intothe test strip port 20. The detachable cover 40 can be constructed ofany suitable material, but is preferably constructed of the samematerial as the device body 10. The detachable cover 40 can be securedto the device body 10 using any number of attachment mechanisms, such asa snap-fit mechanism. Grip features 47 comprising a number of raisedribs are provided on the sides of the detachable cover 40 to aid in theremoval and replacement of the cover 40 from and to the device body 10.

A trigger button 50 is disposed on one or both sides of the device body10, allowing comfortable positioning during lancing when using either aright or left hand. The trigger button 50 is mechanically engaged withthe lancet mechanism of the lancet device 30 through the device body 10to activate the lancet as known to those skilled in the art when a forceis exerted on the trigger button 50, such as when pressed by a user. Anarming slide 60 is disposed on the sides and bottom of the device body10 to minimize the overall envelope of the device. The arming slide 60is also mechanically engaged with the lancet mechanism of the lancetdevice 30 through the device body 10 to arm the lancet as known to thoseskilled in the art through a sliding motion of the arming slide 60, suchas when slid by a user. Accordingly, the arming slide 60 can be disposedwithin a recess 65 extending over the sides and bottom of the devicebody 10. The arming slide 60 can be guided in the recess 65 using anynumber of mechanisms, such as rails (not shown) disposed along each sideof the recess 65 and engaged by the arming slide 60. By furtherproviding the arming slide 60 with a number of raised members 62, a usercan firmly grasp the arming slide 60 with one hand and arm the lancet bypressing the proximal end of the device body 10 against a surface tomove the arming slide 60 within the recess 65.

The device further includes an enclosure 70 in the proximal end of thedevice body 10 which houses a test strip vial 75, and which facilitatesone-handed opening and closing of the test strip vial 75 to simplifyaccess to test strips contained therein. The enclosure 70 can be anaxial opening in the device body 10, having a sufficient diameter andwhich extends to a sufficient depth to receive a test strip vial 75. Inan exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the enclosure 70 canhave an opening of 18 mm and a depth of 35.4 mm. The enclosure 70 canfurther comprise a retention feature for the test strip vial 75, such asa friction-type retention feature or a positive mechanical lock, forengaging and retaining the test strip vial 75 therein. The extended capor lid 78 of the test strip vial 75 remains exposed and extending fromthe proximal end of the device body 10, which allows one-handed openingof the test strip vial 75 as described in greater detail below.

The enclosure 70 further comprises a window 72 which allows the readingof the lot numbers on the label of the test strip vial 75 thereinwithout necessitating the removal of the test strip vial 75 from theenclosure 70. The window 72 can be constructed of any suitable clearmaterial, and can be further provided with a lens to enlarge the text ofthe test strip vial 75 label.

The device body 10 further includes a lancet device 30 for lancing askin surface and providing a blood sample to a test strip (not shown)held in the lead-in area 45. The tip of the lancet device 30 comprises asubstantially cylindrical depth control mechanism 32 against which theuser engages a skin surface. Accordingly, the lancet device 30 can beadjustable. In the embodiments of the present invention, the depthsetting is selected by rotating the cylindrical depth control mechanism32 to the desired setting number positioned adjacent to the depthselection indicator 48. Further, the lancet device 30 can be armed andactivated as described above, and can include a lancet (not shown) thatcan be easily accessed via the detachable cover 40.

The device body 10 further includes a blood glucose meter 80 forprocessing the test strip (not shown) received via the test strip port20. The blood glucose meter 80 can further include a display window 82,such as an LCD display or like device, which can display any number oftest results. A plurality of blood glucose meter operation buttons orcontrols 84 can be provided to allow a user to control the meter 80 andmeter display window 82. A data connector 90 can be provided with theblood glucose meter 80 for communication access, such as to upload datafrom other devices or to download data from the device to other devices.The data connector 90 can be disposed on the bottom of device body 10for data exchanges with an electronic pen-type injector or otherdevices, and can comprise any number of hardwired or wirelesscommunication connectors. Preferably, the data connector 90 comprises amultiple contact electrical connector, such as a three contactelectrical connector.

The use of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, describedin greater detail below, significantly benefits from the combinedfeatures described above and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As noted above, theembodiments of the present invention include a blood glucose meter 80with an integral lancet device 30, and a location 70 on the device body10 to store a test strip vial 75 that holds a number of test strips(i.e., up to 25 or more). The embodiments further include the test stripport 20 for the glucose test strip, and the tip of the lancet of theintegral lancet device 30, at the same end of the device body 10. Indoing so, the embodiments of the present invention allow a user toinsert a test strip into the lead-in area 45, arm the lancet device 30,lance a finger, and collect the blood on the edge of the test strip heldin the lead-in area 45 with minimal wasted movement and time (i.e., avirtually continuous short motion). Such steps are outlined andillustrated in FIGS. 3 through 12.

Many existing devices provide the lancet device at the opposite end fromthe test strip, requiring the user to perform an awkward maneuver torotate the unit after lancing. Still other existing devices requireeither the use of a separate lancet device in the case of meter-onlyunits, or a rotation of the meter in the case of meters with lancetdevice and test strip port at opposite ends. The embodiments of thepresent invention solve these problems by placing the test strip port 20and the lancet of the lancet device 30 in as close proximity as isergonomically possible at the distal end of the device body 10, therebyminimizing wasted motion.

In the disclosed embodiments of the present invention, the geometry ofthe distal end or tip of the device, which includes the test strip port20 and the lancet device 30 positioned close together, results from theuse of a compact mechanism for the lancet device 30, and a compactintegrated printed circuit board for the glucose meter 80 electronics.The device further provides the detachable cover 40 at the distal end,which provides a generous sized lead-in area 45 to guide the test stripinto the test strip port 20. As noted above, the lead-in area 45 canfurther include a color highlighted area (not shown) surrounding theopening of the test strip port 20 for improved visibility andergonomics.

In the use of the embodiments of the present invention as illustrated inFIGS. 3 through 5, a tester can lance any number of positions on a skinsurface, such as a bottom surface of a finger or a side surface of afinger. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates a lancing technique on a bottomsurface of a finger, FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of the lancingtechnique of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view of a lancing technique on aside surface of a finger. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, manytesters after lancing a skin surface will prefer to use the tip of thedevice to support the lanced finger and gently roll it over the devicetip to apply the blood drop onto the test strip held in the lead-in area45. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom-lanced finger resting onthe device tip, and FIG. 7 illustrates the bottom-lanced finger of FIG.6 being rolled toward the test strip to apply the blood drop onto thetest strip while resting on the device tip. However, as illustrated inFIGS. 8 and 9, many testers after lancing a skin surface may not desireto use the tip of the device to support the lanced finger, but prefer tosimply move the lanced skin surface from the device tip to apply theblood drop onto the adjacent test strip held in the lead-in area 45.Specifically, FIG. 8 illustrates a side-lanced finger moved the shortdistance from the device tip to the test strip, and FIG. 9 illustratesthe side-lanced finger of FIG. 8 being used to apply the blood drop ontothe test strip.

Still other testers may prefer to hold the device stationary and rotatethe skin surface across the tip of the lancet device and to the adjacenttest strip in a substantially continuous motion. As described below,such a “strip-to-tip rotate” method of use is shown in FIGS. 10 through12. Still other testers after lancing a skin surface, may prefer to usea second or adjacent finger to support the lanced finger to gently rollit over and toward the test strip to apply the blood drop onto the teststrip held in the lead-in area 45.

FIGS. 3 through 5 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use ofan embodiment of the present invention for lancing a finger after armingthe device. As noted above, the user can first arm the lancet device 30by firmly grasping the arming slide 60 with one hand and pressing theproximal end of the device body 10 against a surface to move the armingslide 60 within the recess 65.

In FIGS. 3 through 5, a test strip 76 is positioned in the lead-in area45 at the distal end of the device body 10 and adjacent to the lancetdevice 30 as a user engages the lancet device 30 with a skin surface 95.In doing so, a bottom surface of a finger can be lanced as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, or a side surface of a finger can be lanced as shown inFIG. 5. The user can then apply the blood drop from the skin surface 95to the test strip 76 in a number of motions, each requiring a minimaltravel distance and device manipulations. Specifically, the user can usethe device tip to rest the lanced finger and provide a guide whilerolling the blood drop to the adjacent test strip 76, the user can use asecond finger to rest the lanced finger and provide a guide whilerolling the blood drop to the adjacent test strip 76, the user canrotate the lanced finger about the stationary device to provide theblood drop to the adjacent test strip 76, or the user can simply movethe lanced finger a short distance to provide the blood drop to theadjacent test strip 76.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, the user is shown applying the blood drop from theskin surface 95 onto the test strip 76 that is positioned in the lead-inarea 45. Specifically, the user engages the lancet device 30 with a skinsurface 95 (in this case, the bottom surface of the finger) by rollingthe skin surface 95 over the tip of the lancet device 30. The tip of thelancet device 30 includes a substantially cylindrical depth controlmechanism 32 against which the user engages the skin surface 95. Oncelanced, the lancet device 30 is withdrawn slightly from the skin surface95 to allow the formation of a blood drop on the skin surface 95. Theuser can then place a different part of the finger (in this case, theside surface of the finger) on the top of the tip of the lancet device30 as a rest/support surface. In such a rested/supported position, theuser can then rotate the lanced finger toward the test strip 76 to applythe blood drop from the skin surface 95 onto the test strip 76 as shownin FIGS. 6 and 7 with less effort, yet with a greater degree of controland precision. The embodiments of the present invention still furtherallow the user to use a second or adjacent finger as a rest or supportwhen rotating the lanced finger to apply the blood drop onto the teststrip 76.

Where a rest or support is not required or desired by the user, the usercan simply move the finger the short distance between lancet device 30and the adjacent test strip 76 to apply the blood drop onto the teststrip 76 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. FIGS. 8 and 9 are views illustratingan exemplary manner of use of an embodiment of the present invention bymoving a side-lanced finger a short distance to the test strip toprovide the blood drop to the test strip.

In the above manners of use, the user can either rotate the fingeragainst the lancet device 30 and toward the test strip 76 in asubstantially continuous motion, or move the finger to apply the blooddrop onto the test strip 76. For example, the embodiments of the presentinvention provide for a manner of use in which the finger is rotatedagainst a stationary, or substantially stationary device. FIGS. 10through 12 are views illustrating an exemplary manner of use of anembodiment of the present invention by rolling the finger over astationary device and toward a test strip in a substantially continuousmotion to provide the blood drop to the test strip. Specifically, insuch a “strip-to-tip rotate” method, the user engages the lancet device30 with a skin surface 95 by rolling the skin surface 95 over the tip ofthe lancet device 30 to produce a blood drop as shown in FIG. 10. Oncelanced, the lancet device 30 is withdrawn slightly from the skin surface95 to allow the formation of the blood drop. The user can then rotatethe finger to bring the blood drop toward the adjacent test strip 76 toapply the blood drop onto the test strip 76 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12with less effort, yet with a greater degree of control and precision. Inthis manner of use, the finger is rotated about the stationary device.

Another feature of the embodiments of the present invention describedabove is the one-handed use of the embodiments to access the test stripvial 75 located in the enclosure 70 at the proximal end of the devicebody 10. In FIGS. 13 through 16, a user is shown opening and closing thetest strip vial 75 with one hand. FIGS. 13 through 16 are viewsillustrating an exemplary manner of use of an embodiment of the presentinvention for using a single hand to access a test strip vial.

Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention can include ablood glucose meter 80 with an integral lancet device 30, and anenclosure 70 provided on the device body 10 to store a test strip vial75 that holds a number of test strips. As noted in FIGS. 1 and 2, theembodiments house the glucose test strip vial 75 in a compartment orenclosure 70 that is located at the proximal end of the device. In doingso, all of the supplies that are typically required for a test arelocated in the body of the device.

Most existing blood glucose meters have a separate test strip vial, andat least one existing device has the test strips mounted on a carouselfor dispensing. The embodiments of the present invention describedabove, however, combine a blood glucose meter 80, lancet device 30, andtest strip storage 70, into one device. These embodiments can includeany number of variations, however, each combining a lancet device 30 andblood glucose meter 80, with provisions to store a test strip vial 75.

The embodiments of the present invention can provide any number of typesof inboard, or on-device storage for a strip vial 75 in a meter-lancetdevice combination, and include any number of types of retentionfeatures for the test strip vial 75, such as a friction-type retentionfeature, a positive mechanical lock, or other similar mechanism forengaging and retaining the test strip vial 75 in the enclosure 70.However, in each embodiment and versions thereof, the test strip vial 75and enclosure 70 are preferably constructed so that the test strip vial75 can be operated with one hand as shown in FIGS. 13 through 16.

FIGS. 13 through 16 illustrate a one-handed use of an embodiment of thepresent invention, including a test strip vial 75 and an enclosure 70with a combined lancet device 30 and blood glucose meter 80. In FIG. 13,a user holds the device body 10 in one hand and positions a finger atthe proximal end of the device body 10. Using the finger of one hand,the user can then open the test strip vial 75 located in the enclosure70 at the proximal end of the device body as shown in FIG. 14 to removea test strip for use. The user can still further close the test stripvial 75 located at the proximal end of the device body as shown in FIG.15. The opening and closing operations of the test vial 75 can befurther achieved through the use of an extended test vial cap 78 asshown in greater detail in FIG. 16.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the apparatus and methodsof the present invention have been described in detail above, thoseskilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications arepossible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing fromthe novel teachings and advantages of the present invention.Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included withinthe scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims andequivalents thereof.

1. A blood glucose meter device for single handed use, comprising: abody having first and second ends; a lancet device disposed at saidfirst end of said body, said lancet device comprising a trigger buttondisposed on said body for activating said lancet device, an arming slidedisposed on said body for arming said lancet device, a cylindrical depthcontrol mechanism for setting a lancet skin penetration depth and forengaging a skin surface, and a surface for supporting said skin surfacewhen rolled toward an adjacent test strip; a test strip port disposed atsaid first end of said body for positioning a test strip substantiallyparallel and adjacent to said lancet device; and an enclosure forhousing a test strip vial disposed at said second end of said body.
 2. Ablood glucose meter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bodyfurther comprises a test strip lead-in area extending between said teststrip port and said lancet device.
 3. A blood glucose meter as claimedin claim 1, wherein said enclosure for housing said test strip vialcomprises an opening at said second end of said body for receiving saidtest strip vial.
 4. A blood glucose meter as claimed in claim 3, whereinsaid enclosure for housing said test strip vial further comprises awindow for allowing visual access to said test strip vial containedtherein.
 5. A blood glucose meter as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidenclosure for housing said test strip vial further comprises at leastone of a frictional-type retention feature or a positive mechanical lockto secure said test strip vial.
 6. A blood glucose meter device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said body further comprises: a display; andat least one operator control for data entry and review through saiddisplay.
 7. A blood glucose meter device as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising a data connector disposed on said body for communicationaccess.
 8. A blood glucose meter as claimed in claim 7, wherein saidcommunication access comprises at least one of a data upload operationand a data download operation.
 9. A blood glucose meter device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said body further comprises a detachablecover at said first end of said body for providing access to said lancetdevice for loading and unloading of lancets.
 10. A method offacilitating one-handed use of a blood glucose meter device, comprising:providing a test strip port adjacent to a lancet mechanism; transferringa test strip from a test strip vial contained in said device to saidtest strip port such that said test strip is located substantiallyparallel and adjacent to said lancet mechanism; activating said lancetmechanism against a skin surface to provide a blood drop; andtransferring said blood drop from said skin surface to said adjacenttest strip by resting said skin surface upon said lancet mechanism androlling said skin surface toward said test strip in a substantiallycontinuous motion to move said blood drop to said adjacent test strip.11. A method of facilitating one-handed use of a blood glucose meterdevice, comprising: providing a test strip port adjacent to a lancetmechanism; transferring a test strip from a test strip vial contained insaid device to said test strip port such that said test strip is locatedsubstantially parallel and adjacent to said lancet mechanism; andactivating said lancet mechanism against a skin surface to provide ablood drop and transferring said blood drop from said skin surface tosaid adjacent test strip by rotating said skin surface over said lancetmechanism and toward said adjacent test strip in a substantiallycontinuous motion to move said blood drop to said adjacent test strip.12. A method of using a blood glucose meter device with one hand,comprising: opening a test strip vial in a first end of a blood glucosemeter device and removing a test strip; positioning said test strip in atest strip port at a second end of said device such that said test stripis located substantially parallel and adjacent to a lancet mechanism;engaging said lancet mechanism at said second end of said device with askin surface to provide a blood drop by positioning said skin surfaceover said lancet mechanism and withdrawing said lancet mechanism fromsaid skin surface to allow formation of said blood drop on said skinsurface; and applying said blood drop from said skin surface onto saidadjacent test strip by placing a part of said skin surface in closeproximity to said blood drop on said lancet mechanism as a supportsurface and rotating said skin surface toward said adjacent test stripin a substantially continuous motion to apply said blood drop from saidskin surface onto said adjacent test strip.
 13. A method of using ablood glucose meter device with one hand, comprising: opening a teststrip vial in a first end of a blood glucose meter device and removing atest strip; positioning said test strip in a test strip port at a secondend of said device such that said test strip is located substantiallyparallel and adjacent to a lancet mechanism; and engaging said lancetmechanism at said second end of said device with a skin surface toprovide a blood drop by positioning said skin surface over said lancetmechanism and withdrawing said lancet mechanism from said skin surfaceto allow formation of said blood drop on said skin surface; and applyingsaid blood drop from said skin surface onto said adjacent test strip byrotating said skin surface over said lancet mechanism and toward saidadjacent test strip in a substantially continuous motion to apply saidblood drop from said skin surface onto said adjacent test strip.